A Modest Wager
by magical hag
Summary: Oneshot. Jack and Janet spend some time at a fair on a pier.


A/N: This seemed like a good idea at the beginning. I finished it and posted it anyways.

**A Modest Wager**

Jack threw his last small bean bag at the few cans that were left from the pyramid he had managed to collapse earlier; he missed the cans completely.

"Great job, Jack," Janet quipped and gave Jack a patronizing pat on the back.

"Oh, yeah? I'd like to see you try."

"Alright, I will," she said confidently and placed her money on the counter. She was given three bean bags in exchange.

Her first toss knocked over quite a few of the cans. "Ha!" she exclaimed triumphantly.

"Don't get too excited just yet."

She tossed the second bag and missed. It was Jack's turn to go, "Ha!"

Janet took her time with her final bag, trying to figure out the weak spot.

Just as she was about to throw it Jack went, "Ah!" startling her.

"Oh! Jack!" she yelled. He laughed. "I didn't do anything to you when it was your turn."

"Sorry. I won't do that again. I promise. Scouts honor," Jack said giving a three finger salute.

"You weren't in the scouts."

"Then…" he trailed off; a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Janet knew what was coming, her eyes widened and she tried to prepare herself. "C'mon Jack, don't," she tried to say with a straight face, but she was already smiling.

Jack didn't listen and tickled her quickly. "Ok, ok. I'll stop," he said after a moment. "Ms. Wood, the floor is yours," he said gesturing at the booth.

"Thank you."

"It's the bottom of the tenth. They're down by three," Jack did his best impression of a sports commentator. Janet pulled her arm back and he said, "Here's Wood with the wind-up. Can she do it? Can she save her team?" Janet rolled her eyes before throwing her last bag at the cans. She knocked down the cans, all but one. "Oh! So close! Sadly, on this day, Ms. Wood could not step up to the plate for her team." Jack smirked, "See? Not so easy after all."

Janet scoffed. "I did better than you," she remarked walking off.

"_What_? How," Jack asked following her.

"You had three cans left, I only had one."

"That's not how this game works!" Jack wasn't satisfied. "How about a little wager," Jack proposed.

"Ok?"

"We go our separate ways, play games, and then we'll meet back at the pier in an hour, around 6. The person with the best prize wins."

Janet stopped walking. "You're on!" she said with much enthusiasm. "But what do I get when I win?"

"When _you_ win?" Jack laughed. He placed a hand on her shoulder, "My dear Janet when _I_ win," he said gesturing to himself, "I would like you to…," he seemed to imply something sexual.

"NO!" she shrieked shrugging off his hand. "Ok how about the loser has to give their prize to the winner and buy a funnel cake."

"That's not much of a bet, but deal," Jack said putting out his hand.

"Ok then." Janet shook his hand in agreement.

The two parted ways and went in search of a fairground game they had a possible chance of winning.

Jack had been strolling along watching people play rather than actually playing. He'd see people losing majorly and would move on to another booth. Then he saw a teenage girl, shooting free throws and making shot after shot. His male ego told him that if she could do it, so could he. Jack stood a couple of feet away to observe her and tried to mimic her technique without the ball. The girl noticed him and gave him a questioning look. He stopped "practicing" and returned an awkward smile. She continued to take her shots, but she missed a couple, causing Jack to chuckle. She glared at him and finished her round. The teenager had done fairly well, and got to pick a prize from, and got herself a large teddy bear. She stood to the side but didn't leave. It seemed like she'd be the one doing the observing now.

"You did pretty good kid," Jack complimented. "But watch, the master," he said giving the person behind the counter his money. The girl rolled her eyes at him and continued to watch.

Jack received four chances and missed every single one. The girl laughed. "I'm just warming up," Jack claimed. He put down his money and received four more tries. He made one into the basket and was noticeably excited. She scoffed. "I need a little bit of practice that's all."

"Whatever," she mumbled and left Jack to continue shooting basketballs alone.

He wasn't sure how many games he paid for but by the end of it, he had a few tickets to trade in for a small prize. He was sure at that point he probably could've bought one of the bigger prizes with the money he had wasted. The man behind the counter presented five small unopened boxes for Jack to choose from.

Jack waited at the pier for Janet, scanning the crowd every now and then for her. When he spotted her walking towards him, he noticed she wasn't holding onto any large prized items and she also looked a little irked. He smiled, concluding that she didn't have as much luck as he did at the game booths.

"So how'd you do," Jack asked, a cheeky smile donned his face.

"So, so," Janet replied nonchalantly.

"I," Jack began proudly, revealing his small box, "won this." He shook it, producing tiny clunking noises. He opened the plastic box and showed Janet the cheap plastic ring that came inside.

Janet scrunched up her nose at Jack. "Well, I," she paused, her right hand disappearing behind her back, when she revealed it she said, "got this!" She held a small colorful plastic water gun and she began squirting water at Jack with it. Jack tried to block the water with his hands and in the process dropped the little box.

Janet stopped her antics while Jack bent down to pick it up. The ring had gotten out of the box and rolled away a bit. Jack found himself crawling on his knees to get the ring, and when he made a move to get back up he heard a child say "Look, mommy! He's proposing to her." He realized he had one leg propped and holding onto a ring. A cheap plastic ring, but from afar no one could have known.

He looked up at Janet, who appeared a little embarrassed. She was about to correct the child, but he grabbed her left hand. "Janet Wood," Jack smiled as Janet's brows furrowed in confusion momentarily, but she smiled catching on. "You have made me the happiest man for the past 8 years. I wouldn't be standing here, as the man I am today without you. My only wish is to be able to work on making you just as happy for the rest of our lives."

"Oh Jack!" she gasped dramatically.

"Will you do me the honor of marrying me?"

"Yes! Of course, I will!"

He slipped the ring onto her finger and looked up at her smiling face. Suddenly he felt his heart beat a little faster. Janet grabbed his upper arm to help him get up and Jack started to feel a little nervous.

When he stood up, he noticed there were people clapping and congratulating them. By that point, Jack was feeling a bit bashful for some reason.

Unexpectedly, Janet pulled Jack in for a kiss. He was shocked, to say the least. That shocked feeling was quickly replaced by pure joy and he kissed her back. She truly did make him happy. He moved his hands so they were placed on her waist. Janet tilted her head to the side deepening their very public display of affection.

"EIGHT YEARS?" someone shouted.

Janet giggled bringing their kiss to a halt. She made a move to pull away, but Jack held on to her. Janet stared in confusion whilst Jack gazed into those dark brown eyes of hers.

Jack didn't want the moment to end. It felt right like he had found exactly what he had been missing in his life. That wasn't it. She wasn't missing from his life. She had always been there by his side. Being supportive, helpful, caring… _loving_. But as he was down on his knees fake proposing it dawned on him, he meant every word of it.

"Jack?" she said softly.

"Oh, right," Jack said coming out of his thoughts. He let go of her reluctantly.

Janet gave a small smile. "I guess I get to keep this," she said waving her water gun before putting it into her purse, "and this." she held up her hand with the ring on it.

"No."

"What? I am clearly the winner!"

"One day I'm going to get you a real diamond ring," he said quickly while walking off, leaving a confused Janet behind.

"Why? Are you planning on marrying me," she asked walking after him.

"Yes," he answered without a second thought.

"What?" Janet stopped walking and stood there confused.

He stopped in his tracks, turned around and walked over to Janet. "Janet, I love you. I have fallen in love with you," he confessed. "I don't know why I hadn't realized it sooner. Maybe I did but was afraid that you'd tell me you didn't feel the same way, and honestly, you haven't said anything, and I'm still not sure how you really feel-," he was cut off because unexpectedly, again, Janet was kissing him.

She pulled away to look at rather surprised Jack. "I love you, too," she told him.

"YIPEE!" Jack cried out with a jump receiving a laugh from Janet.

This time they shared a kiss where neither was confused. It wasn't fake it wasn't a joke; it felt like a burden had been lifted. They no longer had to hold back and pretend their feelings for each other weren't real. 

"_Aren't you two done yet_?" Somebody yelled.

* * *

Thanks for reading~


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